Sheet rubber article



Ap 1938. P. VAN CLEEVIF 2,115,254

SHEET RUBBER ARTICLE Filed June 21, 1934 NV TOR.

M ATTORNEY}.

. Patented Apr. 26, 1938 UNITED STATES smsn'r auras-a Paul van Cleef. Chicago, 111., assignor, by meme assignments; to Van Clecf Broa, Chicago, Ill

a partn Felix Van crship consisting of Noah Van Cleel', Cleef, and Paul Van Cleef Application June 21, 1934, Serial No. 731,653 '3 Claims. ((21. 154-2) The present invention relates generally to sheet rubber articles. More particularly the invention relates to that type of sheet rubber article which serves as a piece or item of clothing and is adapted to be worn by the wearer around a portion of his or her body to afford protection against the elements in wet or dry weather.

One object of the invention is to provide an article of this type which is less likely to tear or rip than previously designed articles of the same general character by reason of the-fact thatthe margin thereof which is designed to encircle the wearer's body and operates in a measure as the supporting means for the article, embodies a 1011-.

16 gitudinally extending strip of fabric which is se cured substantially permanently in place by a strip or facing of raw rubber on its inner face and serves as a reinforcing instrumentality for the article.

Another object of the invention is to provide ari article of clothing of the last mentioned character in which the fabric strip which is applied to the supporting margin is folded around the latter so that it forms a facing for the inner gp-and outer faces of the supporting margin and thus prevents contact of the rubber at the supporting margin of thearticle with the skin or body of the wearer of the article.

A further object of the invention is to provide so an article of the type and character under consideration in which the fabric, margin reinforcing strip is in the form of Jersey cloth or like material and is arranged 'as far as its weaving or -thread"arrangement is concerned so that it is iii-highly elastic in its longitudinal direction and ,is

relatively inelastic in its transverse direction and hence permits of lengthwise stretching only of -the supporting margin of the article.

A still further object of the invention -is;to

- 4, provide a simple and improved method'of fabrieating sheet rubber articles and applying fabric strips to certain margins of such articles. f

Other objects of'the invention and the various advantages and characteristics of the present 5 sheet rubber articleand its method of manufacture will be apparent from consideration of the following detailed description.

The invention consists in the several novel features which are hereinafter setforth and are 9 more particularly defined by claims at the conclusion hereof.

In the drawing which accompanies and forms apart of this specification or disclosure and in which like numerals of reference denote corre- 5 spending parts throughout the several views:

1 is a-plan view of a sheet rubber rain cape embodying the invention; v

Figure 2 is enlarged plan view of the neck portion of the cape showing in detail the arrangementof the cloth strip which serves as a reinforcing medium for the neck-engaging margin I i e s e 3 is a fragmentary perspective illustrating the manner in...whi,c h the fabric strip is appliedto the neck-engaging'margin of the cape; Figure 4 is a perspective showing how the raw rubber him or strip on the inner face of the reinforcing fabric strip is rolled into contact with the rubber which forms the neck-engaging marln'eirt ar a Figure i is a fragmentary plan view showing the manner in'whi'chthe fabric strip is arranged as far as its weaving-orthread arrangement is concerned 50 that .it is elastic in its longitudinal direction and relatively inelastic in its transverse dll'ectmm f I The invention is illustrated in connection with a cape i which is formed from sheet rubber and is adapted to worn around "the shoulders in wet or stormyweath'er as protection against the elements. As in l igur'e 1 of the drawing, the cape-l is substantially semi-circular and embodies a curved nec k-fengaging margin 1. .The latter is dasigned to encircle the neck of the wearer. A pair of man fasteners B are applied to the margin '1' and serve to hold the cape in place. These fastenersconsist of stud-carrying parts at one end of the neck-engaging margin l and complemental' or socket i parts H) at the other end. of the margin. The two fasteners are spacedapart and operate to hold the side mar- --gins of the cape in'over-lapped relation during use of the ape;- Theside and bottom margins of the cape are doubled back andcrimped as shown-in Figure 2 in order to reinforce the edges a'nd'prevent tearing or ripping. 'The neck engaging margin I of the cape is provided with a fabric strip H. This strip is formed of jersey cloth, 'eider down" orany like material and extends from "one end of the neck engaging margin i to. the other. As shown in Figure 2 the strip H- is folded-around the margin I so that both faces of: the latter are covered by the strip. -Ihe foldlnz is preferably such that the width of latter in place. The fabric strip is preferably ar- I ranged so that the plain face is on the inside and the nap is on the outside. The rubber facing I2 completely covers the inner or plainface of the strip II and is secured to the adjacent portions ofithe neck-engaging margin l by a film it of rubber cement. If the fabric strip l l is formed of jersey'cloth or elder down (see Fig. 5) or any like material which is highly'elastic or stretchable in one direction and is relatively inelastic in the other direction, the strip is cut as far as weaving or thread arrangement is concerned so that it is highly elastic in its longitudinal direction, that is, lengthwise thereof, and-is relatively inelastic in its transverse direction.

a result of this arrangement of the strip H the neck-engaging margin ljof the cape may be wearer's neck. This feature is of importance in 2 her. By reason of the fact that the neck-ensuing margin I is reinforced by and covered with cold weather because of the coldness of therubthe fabric strip I I there is no likelihood of the neck-engaging margin I binding or otherwise injuring 'the wearer's neck in the event that the margin is stretchedduring application of the cape and then released. The. parts '8 and II of the snap fasteners I extend through the textile fabric-strip II and the rubber attachlngstrip I! as shown in Figure 2 and are preferably applied or'secured in place after application of the in the form of a calendered sheet is cut out by way of a pattern so that it corresponds in shape or form to thatdesired for the cape. After cutting the sheet into' the proper form the side and bottom margins are doubled back and crimped by any suitable means. The pressure exerted during the crimpingoperation is sufficient ordinarily to press together into fused relation the contiguous portions of the rubber sheet and to hold these portions in place. After the crimping operation, the neck engaging margin 1 of the raw rubber sheet is prepared for the attachment of the fabric strip II. by spreading rubber cement over it to form the film IS. The fabric strip ll is prepared by spreading a facing of raw rubber on the plain side of the strip. After preparation press the raw'rubber facing I! into firmIeontact with the rubber cement on the margin 1. After the rolling operation the cape is placed in a tumbler (not shown) and is subjected to sulphurchloride fumes in order to cure or vulcanize the rubber. At the conclusion of the curing operation, the cape is subjected to ammonia vapor so as to remove excess sulphur chloride fumes and prevent over vulcanization. The .-is finished by dusting it with powdered starch. The herein disclosed cape is extremely durable by reason of the fact that the side and bottom I margins are doubled over and crimped and the Whereas the invention has been described in connection with a cape, it is to be understood that it may be used in connection with other sheet rubber articles. It is also to be understood that the invention is not'to be restricted to the details set forth, since these may be modified within the scope of the appended claims, without departing -'from the spirit and scope of the invention.

Having thus described the invention, what!- claim as newand desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

1. A new article of manufacture comprising a sheet of calendered rubber, a strip of textile fabrlc highly elastic in its longitudinal direction and relatively inelastic in its transverse direction extending longitudinallyalong and folded around one of the margins of the sheet, and means for securing the strip to said one margin of the sheet consisting of a comparatively thin facing of rubher on and'coeatensive with the inner face of.

the strip-and a film of rubber cement between the facing and the strip-covered face portionsvof the sheet, both vulcanized after application to the strip and sheet respectively and together with the sheet so as to bond or unite them together and connect substantially permanently the strip tothesheet. 4 v 2. That improvement in the manufacture ofsheet rubber articles'which'comprlses applying a film of rubber cement to the inner and outer faces of one margin of a calendered sheet of .raw rubber, then spreading a comparatively thin the strip lengthwise around said onemargin' of the sheet so that the facing engages the film of rubber cement, and finally curing the -sheet, film, and facing. so as substantially permanently to bond er unite the strip to the sheet.

3. That improvement in the manufacture of sheet rubber articles which comprises'applying .a film of rubber cement to the inner and outer face of one margin of a calendered sheet of raw rubber, then spreading. a comparatively thin coextenslve facing of raw rubber on the plain side of a strip of Jersey" cloth which is highly elastic lengthwise and relatively inelastic transversely thereof, then folding the striplengthwisearound said one margin .of the sheet so that the facing the strip to the sheet. Y

PAUL VAN 

